1Cor4Example
"WHAT KIND OF EXAMPLE?"
(1 Corinthians 4:14-21)
Someone wrote:
"You are writing a gospel, a chapter every day,
By deeds you do, by words that you say;
Men read what your write, whether faithless or true.
Say, what is the gospel, according to you?"
1. Admonishes (v. 14)
Verse 14 makes clear that Paul's motive in correcting the Corinthians. He admonished them because he loved them.
The word "admonish" means to "put in mind" with the purpose of warning and reproving. It presupposes something is wrong and its intention is to correct, to make right.
See 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12: “10Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children. 12That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
Not only is a father to admonish, but he is also to:
2. Loves (v. 17)
The word for "beloved" children is taken from "agapao." It is a love that is determined and willful, having the one purpose of serving the one who is loved. in 2 Corinthians 12:15, Paul said: "And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved."
Spiritual leaders must learn to love their people as a father loves his children.
Paul's example as a father meant that he , he loved, and third he:
3. Begets (v. 15)
Paul obviously is not mentioning characteristics of a father in chronological order, for here in verse 15, he speaks of the first requirement of spiritual fatherhood. A father is one who brings the child into the world, the one responsible, humanly speaking, for the child being born.
The Corinthians could have had countless number of spiritual tutors of various sorts, and all of these may have been helpful to one degree or another. But Paul uniquely was their spiritual father.
One Bible teacher commented:
Unfortunately, many Christians have never become spiritual fathers. They have never produced any spiritual offspring. They have never lead a person to Christ and helped him in the ways of God. A Christian is one who has been given new life in Christ, and one of the most important characteristics of life is reproduction. Yet, many believers have never reproduced believers. In a sense, they are a contradiction to what a Christian is. Every believer should be a spiritual father, God's instruments for bringing new lives into his kingdom. That begins the disciplining process.
The Lord has chosen us as his agents in witnessing (Acts 1:8), and has commanded that we "make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). The Lord Jesus has commanded us to pray "that the Lord of the harvest" will send forth "workers in his harvest (Matthew 9:38). The fruit of the harvest is entirely in the Lord's hands, but he has called us to be co-laborers in His fields.
A spiritual father admonishes, loves, begets and fourth:
4. Teaches (v. 15a)
Children learn both by example and by precept. Some things are "caught" rather than "taught." Soul-winning comes as we observe others. We can teach how to win men and women to Jesus Christ, but with the teaching must come the example, the practice, the day by day experience of witnessing and telling others about Jesus Christ.
A wise father is one who knows how to combine teaching by example and teaching by principle and by precept.
What kind of example do you set before your children? Do you read your Bibles? Do you pray? Do you let your children see your love and devotion and consideration for your wife? Do you show love for your children?
A spiritual father admonishes, loves, begets, teaches, and finally:
5. Disciplines (v. 18)
The Corinthians were like many of us when were children. We were brave and arrogant as long as our parents were not in the room. We would fight and brag and talk like we were really mean and powerful. But when our parents came into the room, we were as meek and mild as could be.
The Corinthians were "showing off" because they did not think that the apostle would come and visit the. But verse 19 makes clear that he planned to visit them just as seen as the Lord would permit. Notice the latter part of verse 19. Here we see that God is interest not so much in what we say as what we do. It is relatively easy to talk about things that we plan to do for God, but the Lord is more interested in our actions than in our intentions.
The contrast in this paragraph is between "speech" and "power;" between "words" and "deeds." The Corinthian Christians were talers, but they could not back up their talk with their walk. Their religion was only in word.
Power from God comes as we pray, as we seek His face, as we come before Him as beggars soliciting bread from a king. S. D. Gordian, a great preacher of the past, said it this way:
"The greatest thing that anyone can do for God and for man is to pray. The great people of the earth today are people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet, those who can explain about prayer. I mean those who take time to pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. This something else is very important. Very important and very pressing, but still less important and pressing than prayer. There are people who put prayer first, those are the great people of earth. These are the people who touch and alter eternity. These are the people who count for God."
Timothy was a great example because he was a great follower. He faithfully taught and reminded others of the doctrine and lifestyle of the apostle Paul who himself carefully followed the Lord Jesus.
What sort of example are you as a follower of the Lord Jesus? Are you like Him? do you set a Christ-like example before your family, friends, and neighbors?
Paul was a tremendous example as a father. As a spiritual father, he admonished, loved, begat, taught, and disciplined.
Have you surrendered to God so that you have been used by God as a spiritual father? Is there someone that God has enable you to win to Himself? What sort of parent are you spiritually?
Finally, we have seen that the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. We need power as a church and we need power as individuals. Will you commit yourself to prayer, trusting that God will send the power that is needed?
Again, we ask: What kind of world would this be if every Christian were like you? What kind of church would we be if every Christian lived and acted like you? What kind of example are you?